Gundy, Cowboys Preview 2016 Football Season

August 06, 2016 | Cowboy Football

STILLWATER - After hosting the Oklahoma State fans, Mike Gundy and the Cowboy football team met with the local and national media on Saturday afternoon. Watch the video above for comments from Gundy and the Cowboys. Interview transcrips are below.

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy

Opening statement …
"We've had a few practices, as you guys are aware. Everybody's attitude is good. We've had some young guys that have shown up, and they'll be able to help us some this year. Other than that, Mason (Rudolph) has done really well. Victor (Salako), Chad (Whitener), (Jordan) Sterns, (Ashton) Lampkin and those guys have shown up; the guys that you would think should make some plays. Today was a day off for us. We'll go back at it tomorrow. We're looking forward to getting into pads pretty soon and finding out where we're at as a team, but up to this point everything's going really well. Just enjoying watching guys progress."

On his progress toward naming a second string quarterback …
"By the end of next week, we should have a plan for what we're going to do with our backup quarterback. We have a couple of guys that are improving each day. There are only so many reps, so by that time, we need to come up with a plan."

On how he plans to replace J.W. Walsh …
"We don't have that player right now that fits the role that J.W. gave us last year. If we come across that player, we will use that guy if we feel like it will help our offense. We don't have that player now that's been developed, so Mason (Rudolph) will work in short yardage and goal line, and we'll make the adjustments based on what his abilities are until we find a player that can fit that role.

On if there's an emphasis in getting Mason Rudolph reps in goal line or red zone situations …
"He's always practiced it, and we've had a plan in case J.W. wasn't going to be with us, if something would have happened to him. We have those schemes. There are just minor adjustments in place we use up in the field. He's a good throwing quarterback inside the five yard line. He's been pretty accurate. We'll lean more toward those plays than trying to draw up something new, but he will get work because he'll be the guy that gets it in practice."

On if Rudolph's leadership skills have developed without a J.W. Walsh on the roster …
"I really haven't seen any difference in him. He's been really good this summer. I mentioned it earlier. He's been very humble and talked about team, so I like where he's at right now. I think they did a really good job of sharing that. I do feel like he's aware that he's really the leader on offense now, but I haven't seen any adjustments because he's always been really good at being a leader on our team."

On the evolution of safety Jordan Sterns …
"He's always been a physical player. He's been tough. He's been reliable for us. The leadership that he can show to the younger players, with him being a veteran player, will be important to our team. He needs to continue with the toughness and the attitude that he brings to the back of our defense. He's matured considerably over the last year or so. Even though he was playing, he's been taking care of his body, his class attendance is great and things like that are all really good, which is a good sign of maturity."

On if leadership is something that he tries to coach or if it's on the players …
"Both. I think that we have a responsibility to instill leadership in these young men we feel like will eventually lead our team. Sometimes, we have young men that it comes natural to, but I think it goes both ways."

On if he's noticed any obvious improvements in the offensive line …
"It's just too early because we haven't had pads, so you just don't see a lot right now. By Monday, we should start to see some improvement. We need to find what our strengths are and really push hard in those areas. And other areas where we feel like we aren't as good at, we've got to get away from. We need to have a plan where we can be sound, and come off the ball and be aggressive."

On defensive end Jordan Brailford …
"We like Jordan, Jarrell (Owens) and the young line that we have. They're active and athletic. Their bodies have changed and their attitudes are good. It may be halfway through the season before we can see those guys show up the way we want them to. They're still young, but we like the future. He's certainly a guy that should make a lot of plays here."

On the importance of leadership from the veterans on the interior defensive line with such young defensive ends …
"Well, they work together, along with the linebackers. They're all kind of running the same role. Fortunately, this year, we're legitimately two deep at the tackle spot where we feel like we can roll those guys in. That's a nice addition for us, something we haven't had the last several years. Between those inside players and the backers, hopefully they can help us bring those ends along."

On if he can see this defense year's being deeper than it has been in recent seasons …
"We could be. We need to develop another corner to make me feel a little better, but in the front seven, we have guys that by midseason could give us quality playing time in conference play. We have key positions that we need players to stay healthy, like always, but if we're fortunate we could be deeper on defense by midseason."

On the depth at the defensive line …
"I think Joe Bob (Clements) has done a really good job recruiting, and he's evaluated. Rob Glass has developed players, and we've had some good luck in keeping them around. It takes a little while to develop those guys, just like it does offensive linemen. We're fortunate. We should have a pretty good run for quite a while. We have some younger guys that may not show it this year, but can play. I think it's just based on being able to identify the players that come into the program that we can develop and them staying with us."

On defensive tackle Vili Leveni …
"We're anticipating him being full speed here in a couple of weeks. He's been released, but we're protecting him some just because he's been out for so long. He's certainly a big body that understands and is the type of player that you're looking for inside so it's nice to get him back and I'd like to keep him healthy and in shape and find out how well he can play."

On OSU graduate transfer cornerback Lenzy Pipkins …
"He's going to give us some depth at (cornerback). In this league, you play with three or four corners in a game - depending on whether you're in a nickel or dime package. He's older and has played at this level, so I'd expect he's going to be on the field quite a bit. He needs to help us on special teams. He can be involved in punt return or punt coverage and I think his body will be able to adapt and take it because he understands what it takes to play at this level."

On OSU's success with graduate transfers …
"Years ago I would've agreed that it would be really difficult for a young man to come in during the summer and then be able to contribute in September. The offseason training has changed so much and coach (Rob) Glass - if you give him three or four weeks, he can get them ready to play. The reason we're able to accomplish those goals with those fifth-year kids is that the team will bring them in and embrace them and make them feel welcome. You imagine being in high school and transferring to another high school for your last year and one of the adjustments would be getting to know the people and getting comfortable walking to class. Well it's the same here and these guys do a really good job. I'm fairly convinced that's why they're able to be successful here in such a short period of time."

On the buzz surrounding Barry J. Sanders …
"Obviously with his dad, coming back here and his family in Oklahoma City - that's what drives the market. People don't necessarily want to hear about the norm, they want to hear about things that could potentially be bigger. He draws a lot of attention and he's been tremendous in the way he's handled it. He has to live day in and day out, especially here. I watched the players that are on our team, and they've taken him in and they appreciate him. He's humble and he understands his background and embraces it and does a good job with it. His temperament has allowed him to be a member of our team really quick. I always suspect each week that people are going to ask, whether it's from the local media or the team that we play, about Junior. It's just what drives the market."

On how Barry J. Sanders compares to his father …
"Junior is nothing like his dad. Junior's got great communication skills. He loves to talk to people. When you get Barry Sr. in the right element, he's good, but he doesn't want to be in that element. Junior is like his mom. He's got great people skills, he's got a great smile, he likes to be around people and he's a great communicator. He's going to go out into the world and do very well. He catches the ball well. I have seen clips of him when he was playing out west, where he does some cuts and things that are similar, but it's unfair to even begin to compare anybody to his dad. We're going to know a lot more about him in three weeks, and we're going to know a lot more about him at the end of September and October and what he can bring to our team."

On how Barry J. Sanders' arrival has impacted the running backs …
"They have a good working relationship, but I would agree that there is some truth to that just by human nature. There's some freshmen in this class that I think has helped push the entire group, but one thing that I have enjoyed watching in just the last few days is that Chris Carson's work ethic and approach, and Rennie (Childs') work ethic has been really good. Whether it has been (because of) Junior or just them wanting to improve an area on our team that we need to help improve the overall picture has been good."

On tryouts for kicking specialists …
"We always have tryouts when school starts. We've always made it public that if there's a young man in this school that can kick or punt - we have about 21,000 students here, some of them might be off-campus - but as much as soccer has grown in this state I would always think that there is someone here that has to be able to kick. They're always welcome to come over and it's a great spot to earn a scholarship because we have to have those punters and those kickers. As you guys know, we only sign one of those guys every three or four years, so there's always roster spots. Now, Ammendola, he's doing good kicking the ball and (Ben) Grogan is still in the world he lives in and Zach (Sinor) is where he is, but Ammendola will be a guy that gets a chance to do some kickoff stuff for us because he has a really powerful leg. If he can satisfy what we need there, that allows Grogan to focus more on what his specialty is. For a coach, you would like it to be different guys that way the wear and tear on their bodies is not as much. This year, Ammendola brings us a little depth that we haven't had over the past few years."

On what he likes about quarterback Keondre Wudtee …
"Well, he understands football. Seems that a lot of what we can't coach comes natural to him. I like his demeanor, I like his work ethic, I like his attitude up to this point. He has a quick release and gets rid of the ball fast. He's a true freshman; he's got a ways to go in throwing, just like all of them have. He doesn't have a lot of wasted motion. And I think he's going to be able to figure out the offense fairly quick, which then allows him to improve at a faster rate because he understands like all of us if we understand what direction we are going in we will get there faster. If we are not sure, we are hesitant. I don't see that with him at this point. I think he is going to pick up pretty fast."

On if there is a special package to take advantage of some of Wudtee's skills …
"His skills are a little different. Obviously, he is a little more elusive and can take off and run. As I mentioned, I like his release, I like how he's throwing the ball now at this stage in his career. Whether it's Mason (Rudolph), or Taylor (Cornelius), or Wudtee or (John) Kolar, we have a base offense that we refine for each one of those guys, even while they are practicing out here. Some of the plays that we think Mason is good at, Kolar may not run them, or Wudtee may not run them, or vice versa. We can do that in practice."

On wide receiver Jalen McCleskey being a bigger part of the offense …
"We have to find ways for him to touch the ball. He is explosive. He is competitive. H is a year into it now. This year's offensive could be a little more specific by player than what we have been in the last 10 years. Meaning that, we may have certain guys skill wise that are able to execute certain plays that we need to try and get those called to get the ball to certain guys in order to give us the best chance to be successful on offense."

On McCleskey's pedigree …
"Well, he is a good player. It is like anything else, horse racing and whatever. The history says that if their pedigree is good, then there's a good chance that that can continue during their career here. Not always, but it gives you a better chance. We invest a lot of time in what kind of people they are, how they treat their moms, what kind of respect they have for just the general things in society I think we are lacking as a group maybe in this country. We look at that and they certainly have to be athletic enough to play here and then if they have good pedigree, that makes the stock go up even more."

On wide receiver Dillon Stoner being a gym rat …
"They run around out there and compete and catch the ball and throw the ball and hand it to them and they look a lot alike. Gym rat is a good term for those guys."

On comparing receiver James Washington to former OSU receivers …
"Nobody really compares to Harvey Dykes. He was such a physical presence at 6'4" and 225 pounds. I don't know that anybody has ever gotten to his level. Dez was a great player we all know, Blackmon was a great player, Rashaun Woods was a great player. James falls more into the Rashaun Woods category in my opinion. Very quiet, he's a terrific route runner. He has a burst that is a little more deceptive than what defensive players think. That's what makes him a good player. All of them are ultra-competitive. And he is more of the Rashaun Woods mold than the other guys."

On bringing in Josh Henson as an analyst …
"Well, Josh is an Oklahoma State guy. He and Sean were both here in school. He's done very well on his own. He's gone down and worked. He went down and worked with coach Miles, then went on to be a coordinator and did very well. Missouri had tremendous success those years that they were there. They won a lot of game. With offensive line play, in the running game, he's been trained by one of the best by Coach Miles. I feel strongly about the knowledge he brings to the table in that area. And he has expanded that now. He understands quarterback play. He understands the passing game, down field stuff. Those guys, to a certain extent, linemen or coaching line they live in a world about as big as this stage. They don't know anything going on behind those cameras. Well, he's evolved to knowing the game even more. Of course, Bill Clay is back with us. Both those guys are a great addition for us."

On rating Clay and Henson's impact …
"Well, not necessarily how you did it without them, you would like to have three or four more on each side of the ball like the SEC. Five or six on each side of the ball, we would love to have that. You just image of Daryl White was here last year; he's at Houston, the knowledge that he brought to the game. And there are other guys out there. I know that I think Tim Beckett went to North Carolina to work for Fedora. When you bring guys like that that have been coaching 25 years and they understand the position and their wear and tear mentally daily is much more than ours because they aren't actually coaching and recruiting. All they are doing is thinking and looking at ball, then they can bring or give us great suggestions that maybe we can't come up with just because of the fatigue of being in the season. So they are certainly a great asset to our program."

On fan interaction …
"It's a lot of fun. You know it is long, it's two hours or a little over two hours of signing, but once you get to it and you see the people so many families that come back each year and their kids are growing on up and they'll show you pictures that you took with them when I had to hold them on my leg and now they're as tall as I am that makes it a neat day. Oklahoma State has always been special that way with our group that has been loyal to us. It makes me proud when the parents and the other families of people that have little ones here come and say how terrific our team is talking to them and engaging with them, not sitting there like a bump on a wall. "Hey it's good to have you here, take pictures and that's really what it's all about. You know we're in the business here trying to develop young men to prepare them to be successful and contribute to society in a positive way, and that's part of it. They need to learn to work with other people and look people in the eye and shake hands and so forth and so we all need to do that and extend ourselves to people that come and watch us play. You know they're the ones that show up and they're at these games ten degrees or a hundred and ten degrees out here they're yelling for us and that's why it's important."

On bringing back a tight end's coach and how he sees it evolving …
"We like where we're at with it. We like the guys we have and they can play on the line, they can split out, they can play in the backfield and we need to be able to condense that package down to where they can be successful in those areas and we have good quality guys there coming back. You know Veatch and Jarwin and Frazier. Neph's playing in there some. Keenan Brown's playing in there some. Those guys go back to what I was talking about earlier, they have areas that they specialize in, even though they're the same position. So I think it's important this year for us to know what those strengths are and use them in those areas and not try to get too much out of them and they fall in that category."

On walk-ons and if this walk-on program is one of the best in the country …
"It's hard to compare what everyone else has, but this is the best group we've ever had. There's two reasons for that. One, because we have a plan and a system set up to be able to go out and bring young men in that at some point probably should have gotten a scholarship at this level or maybe right below. That's something that's just my opinion. And then our administration is backing us up because there's a lot of requirements involved in bringing walk-ons financially. There's things we can do now. We can feed them, obviously in all of pre-season, but during the season there's a lot of things we can do, academic resources. We go right up to the line of a NCAA standpoint and say this is everything we can do. We're going to do every single thing we can to make this best, this is the best place for you to walk-on. We have to get the administration and Coach Holder and a lot of people to agree with that, because there's some value in. So this group we have now is the best group we've had overall, and for Oklahoma State to continue to play at the level we have, we have to have as many walk-ons as possible that can help us, because what that does is allows us to find out if they fit our system and allows them to find out if we can fit their system, and it has to work for both sides. Sometimes they're here and it may not and they go somewhere else to play. It may be a lower level school like Raymond Taylor. Raymond Taylor scored for us last year and made some key runs. Well, he didn't feel like he was going to get what he wanted this year, so he moved on, and I think he's at Tulsa now. That's awesome for him, but he was good for us while he was here, and I think we were probably good for him, and that's really what you get from the walk-ons. With the rules setup the way it is now, it allows him so freedom, and I think it's good. There's a lot of kids in this state that don't get recruited as hard as they should."

On the most significant thing this program has done in his 11 years …
"Outside of winning? We all know that there's a lot of things that we do that are good, but if we don't win, I'm not standing up here for 12 years, so it doesn't make a difference. We've been able to perform on field more quickly than ever in the history of this program consistently. One thing that I think could be done that has changed that is enjoyable for me is when I'm at practice I can stand and watch. I think I could go out the gate and go North and go over there and hide behind that big pile of dirty where the construction is and practice would run itself. I don't think that I have to be in there. I can be away and the coaches understand the responsibility, and what's that has done is that's developing core values and a system we have in place here, and that's what keeps us at the level we are, because coaches come and go, players come and go, guys go out early and nowadays guys transfer but the core value in our system has not changed. That's the one thing that we've accomplished here, and that should allow Oklahoma State to perform at the high level for a long time, and that was not the easiest thing to accomplish."

On graphic designers and benefits …
"They've been awesome, and we need two more. Everything is moving in that direction, you guys know that. It'd be a waste of oxygen for me to talk about how important technology is. You could read, there's an article on ESPN that talked about just recently you guys may have seen it today or yesterday. It came out and talked about how it's changed the subscribers and just what technology and social media is doing to all of our lives. So if we don't try to stay ahead of the game in that part of the world then we're really lessening our chances in recruiting the quality student athletes that need to come here and perform on the football field because that's the world they live in. When I was gone a couple of weeks ago with my kids playing baseball in Colorado, we had a break for two days between two tournaments, so we just got in a mini-van and started going Norh. We didn't stop until we got to Yosemite. Not Yosemite, Yellowstone. I wish we could have gone to Yosemite but we didn't have time. We went to Yellowstone. Well they lost cell service for a day and a half. Well you would have thought they lost their life. 11 and 14 I'm serious. For me it was awesome. Kevin and Gavin were trying to call me, and I don't have any cell service. They didn't have Wi-Fi or anything. For 36 hours they lost essentially their phones. They wanted to turn around and go the other direction as fast as they could so they could get into cell service and get into Wi-Fi service, and so that will give you an example of how important these guys are from a communications standpoint to who we're trying to target and what we're trying to accomplish."

On recruiting and hairstyle …
"I mentioned it needed a little trim here and there, and our social media people said I can't do it because our ratings are going up too much."

On who has the best hair on the team …
"Honestly, I don't ever look at them really. They'll have a hard time competing with me right now. They're having a lot of fun with it."

Mason Rudolph (Jr., QB)

On why he feels like his leadership has always been there …
"Certain guys have certain roles. You can't have two guys talking and slapping hands. I think if you ask anybody, they know the kind of leader I am and what kind of leader I've been."

On where his confidence comes from …
"I've been a leader as long as I can remember. There's no quiet quarterback, and you have to assert yourself. It's something my high school coaches instilled in me. You have to be the guy, the leader and the first guy in and the last guy out. I'm excited to lead this team."

On how he compares to J.W. Walsh …
"Whatever these coaches want me to do, I'll do. I'm not as speedy as J.W. was, but I'm just as strong and just as effective I think. I'm looking forward to hanging out with these guys and utilizing all the weapons we have."

On throwing "the perfect pass" …
"I don't think I've thrown the perfect pass, but I think the perfect pass is a pass that James or Marcell or Seales or Chris Lacy makes look good on my part. They pluck it out of the air and they're able to make an incredible play and move the chains for us."

Jhajuan Seales (Sr., WR)

On football season being back …
"It's great to be back. Getting back with the defense and getting after it a little bit and catching passes."

On the best thing about playing football for OSU …
"Just the competition against that defense and all the team bonding we have here. We used to do barbecues and stuff on Saturdays and doing stuff as a unit and it's a great thing to go out there and see people have fun."

On preparing for the season …
"Coach Dunn has been working on us doing a run after the catch and being able to get up, make a move and score a touchdown."

Ramon Richards (Jr., CB)

On why math is his favorite subject …
"After a while, it all becomes patterns. You get used to seeing certain patterns and applying them."

On counting (his secret hobby) …
"When we're doing nothing, I'll count how many pictures are around or how many people are in here. When I'm bored, that's what I think about. When I'm on the field, counting my receivers and counting my threats. It kind of helps in a sense."

On the transition from quarterback (high school) to division I cornerback …Q
"That was probably the largest transition I've made in a long time. Having the ball in my hands every play to being on the opposite side of the ball, where the ball barely comes in my hands. Every once in a blue moon. I've always been an athlete, I just had to translate it in a different form and a different perspective. After that, I just let my instincts take over."

Ashton Lampkin (R-Sr., CB)

On what makes Jordan Sterns a role model …
"Just the way he carries himself, I think a lot of people respect that. He just got engaged and the things that he's doing are really setting himself up for greatness."

On the cornerback situation without Kevin Peterson …
"It's changed a lot. The personality Kev has you will never find in another person. Talent-wise, we took a loss with that one, but I feel like we have guys who can step up and do what we have to do."

On the cornerback depth …
"Ramon Richards has come a long, long way, and he's doing great right now. He's having a very productive fall camp. We have a transfer who's doing very well. Darius Curry is doing well and we have younger guys who are competing as well."

Ben Grogan (Sr., K)

On why the Cowboys could win the Big 12 …
"We've had a really good offseason and I think that's really important. Coach Glass is obviously one of the best in the business and guys have been great this year with leadership. Everyone has been really motivated in workouts and usually you can tell from that alone. And we have a bunch of returners so we can only get better."

On the OU game …
"I'm hoping I just kick PATs when we play OU. I hope there are a lot of extra points. I'll be ready if I need to be, though."

Jordan Sterns (Sr., S)

On his spiritual evolution during the offseason …
"I feel much better. I come to practice knowing that this is my time to get better and I tell my teammates the same thing. We only get one opportunity, we have to take advantage of every day, every meeting, every walkthrough. We have to act like professionals."

On his maturation since freshman year …
There's definitely a change, but I'm still the same person. I'm still goofy and I like to have fun, but how I see the world is totally different now. The growth process is an everyday process."

On how his change will affect this season …
"It's definitely exciting, I think about the potential every night before I go to sleep. I think about the things I can do to help the team win. That's my biggest focus: doing what I can do to help the team win. Ultimately, I have goals, but my goals can help the team, whether it's interceptions or plays I can make."

Zach Crabtree (Jr., OL)

On getting back to football season …
"It feels good. It's fun. This is what we do. It feels great to be back and we're ready to get back to the first game."

On the season being right around the corner …
"It's kind of hard to believe and it's kind of not. As you get older it goes faster and faster. It's kind of shocking but it's something we wait for year round. We've been waiting for this since January."

On something he's noticed about the team …
"The respect we have for each other in this locker room. Once you respect guys like that it makes you want to play a lot harder for the guy next to you. It's always been like that here at Oklahoma State but this team is special. That locker room is special."

On the offense …
"It looks pretty good. Just ironing some things out and fixing some small things. It's looked pretty good."

Jeff Carr (So., RB)

On this time of year …
"It's real fun. It's nothing but football for two weeks. You can't ask for much more."

On the summer …
"It was good. We worked hard. It was real good."

On waiting for the season …
"To me it took a long time. It took a long time since we ended in the Sugar Bowl. It's been a grind and now we're here."

On what he's noticed about this team …
"The competitiveness. Everyone's competing at a high level and thinks they can be the guy. Everyone feels like they can help the team."

Vincent Taylor (Jr., DT)

On this time of year …
"It's great. We're at the stadium most of the time with our brothers and I think we're becoming closer and closer every day."

On becoming a vocal leader …
"It wasn't something I was comfortable with when Emmanuel Ogbah and Jimmy Bean were here. I felt like they were more of the vocal leaders. Now that they're gone I feel like it's my time to step up and be a vocal leader and that's what I'm doing."

On the defense …
"We look pretty good. We have some things to improve on. There's always things you can get better at. We can never be satisfied we just have to do what the coaches ask us to do and get better every day."

James Washington (Jr., S)

Gaining leadership …
"There are tons of leaders on the team, and there are tons of guys who wanted to win and wanted to be great for the team. And I feel like over the summer we have gained more leaders."

Mason Rudolph's leadership …
"I see more of a leader than his sophomore year. He's picking up the younger guys, even on days that we're off. He'll get the younger guys and us and we'll go throw and get them ready for the season. He's definitely picked up where he left off."

Meeting the fans today …
"Me and another guy on the receiver course switched name tags. You know it's funny because some people--they may not know who I am off the field or what my face looks like. Some people believed it, and it was kind of funny. But we ended up letting them know that we switched. But it was funny to see them laugh, and it was a great time."

Jordan Brailford (So., DE)

On the group of defensive ends …
"If we keep pushing each other and stay as close as we are, we can expect really good things. We've had a lot of time to make things happen as red shirt sophomores."

On the defense in practice …
"After a couple practices, I personally feel really good about where we are. The first few practices haven't been in full pads, but when we move to full pad practice, I think that we'll really be able to tell where our defense is."

On the talent of Oklahoma State's defensive tackles …
"It's a great thing to have that much talent on the inside. It's nice to let them do their job so we can focus on the players on the outside."

Devante Averette (Sr., LB)

On coach Spencer as the defensive coordinator and linebacker coach …
"It's nice to get our coaching from the source. If there's a little mistake or a question about any other defensive position, he can answer those for us. We know what adjustments to make as a whole on defense."

On the depth of the position …
"We are two or three deep in each position. We have guys like Justin Phillips and Josh Mabin. Those guys have been around the system, and they have been thrown in different positions so they know what to do. Everyone knows every position on the field. It helps us with our confidence in our defense."

On the veteran linebackers helping the new defensive ends …
"Those guys know that they have to do their job first. They're full of energy, and they want to make plays. They want to contribute to the team. We just make sure they know that they have to do their job first. It's cool to see them want to grow into great guys like Bean and Ogbah were."